Forgetting Christ in Our Christian Politics

There is an attitude that crops up quite often in American Christianity. It usually rises from the assumption that America was begun as, and still is, a “Christian nation.” It is a stringent defensiveness against any attempts to secularize the nation, politically or culturally. For instance, there is an outrage over the removal of the Ten Commandments from a courthouse. Or there are protests against removing “under God” from the pledge of allegiance. I’m sure you can think of other examples.

Let me say first that there is nothing wrong with working to protect our liberties. As a democratic nation, we Christians legally have an equal voice in the political forum, and we should persistently and humbly work to make use of that opportunity. Also, sometimes these changes do go against our heritage as Americans, which is mostly a Judeo-Christian heritage. That cannot be denied.

Yet sometimes we seem to forget that we are not exempt from sharing in persecution for Jesus’ sake. Our persecution is usually so mild that we forget to see it as sharing in Christ’s suffering. But it is nothing less. How can we be surprised that the world scorns our Savior and seeks to remove mentions of Him from the public forum? How can we be surprised that they want a blatant reference to the Bible removed from a public courthouse? How can be so indignant, so righteously determined to force these symbols to remain? Are they really what matters? Or is it changed hearts and lives, resulting from those who see the love and service in our own lives? Even if we do choose to fight those battles, we need to do it humbly.

Another aspect of this debate is that in a democratic society, voice must be given equally to every religion represented. That’s just the way it works. If we are going to have Christian prayer in schools, then we have to allow Muslim prayer in schools. Are we prepared to do that? I know that America has a heritage of Christianity, but Saudi Arabia has a heritage of Islam. How should democracy be implemented there? Maybe some level of secularization isn’t all bad, if it means more privatization of religion. I don’t have the answer to that dilemma sorted out in my own mind; I just think we have to take into consideration that if we Christians want a political and cultural voice, we have to realize that other religions deserve one too according to the principles of democracy - even if those religions aren’t true. Is that really what we want to have happen?

I just think that we become so identified with political purposes, with making America a “Christian nation” again, so eager to argue for our specific candidate or political position, so eager to display the Ten Commandments and say “under God” in the pledge, that we forget to align ourselves with Christ and His church first and foremost. We forget to expect some level of mockery and persecution, and receive it with joy instead of loathing. We forget that the world is watching, to see if we care more about being right, or being humble and loving in our truth-telling.

Your thoughts?

Topics: You Decide

(I’m reminding myself of Fox News with that title. We report. You decide.)

I would love to know what kinds of topics you would like to see me discuss in the near future here at hope road. I love to talk about everything you see in the categories on the right-hand side, but I’m not limited to those ideas. If you have any ideas for individual posts or series, things you’re curious about, etc., leave me a comment and let me know. Of course, the disclaimer is that I can’t promise to use each idea, but you know that. I’m looking forward to seeing what y’all come up with! (Look, I can speak Texan.)

Update (1/19): Thank you so much for the ideas, everyone! I hope to be writing about most, if not all, of these topics soon. This really helped to give me some direction. Keep ‘em coming if you have more!

The World Is Reading

I don’t like to place too much weight on the importance of blogging… because it is, after all, nothing more than disconnected community. And yet what we type out and post on our blogs, and what we say in response to others’ blogs, are part of our eternal imprint left on this earth. So in that sense, it is as important as any other life activity.

In the Christian blogosphere, I think it can be easy to forget that not only Christians are reading. My audience, for instance, is composed largely of people who are in agreement with a lot of what I say… that’s just the way it works. So at times I think we can all forget that we are in a very public sphere, and that we can honor or shame the name of Christ with what we write.

As a disclaimer, I’m not writing this in response to any comments that have been made on my blog, or any discussion I’ve been involved with anywhere else. This is just a result of observing the various ways interaction and disagreement are handled around the Christian blogosphere… and my own difficulty keeping the balance between truth and grace as I moderate discussion and handle disagreement. So this is a reminder for me as much as anyone else who might read.

The point is that there is more at stake with what we write than whether our fellow Christians agree. There are many eyes reading, and we want to make Jesus look as good as He is, and to be transparent in our sanctification so that He can shine through. Wow, that is a lofty goal. I don’t know how well I’m doing meeting it. But I hope we can all interact with both grace and truth. The world is reading.

A reminder I need…

“Do not let your adorning be external -
the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry,
or the clothing you wear -

but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart
with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which in God’s sight is very precious.”

(1 Peter 3:3-4)

Saying Goodbye

The other day, I finished watching the last episode of the last season of Gilmore Girls. It involves college graduation and lots of sentimental goodbyes. I could not stop crying as I was watching it – yes, I’m sappy like that (and just to warn you, this whole entry is pretty sappy). But seriously, there are so many goodbyes looming ahead of me in the next six months. And I dread every single one of them. I have grown to hate goodbyes over the last four years.

I know I’ll be excited for what all of my friends are going off to do. And I know I’ll be excited for wherever God is leading me. That will soften the blow a little. But still, these are people who I have been friends with for a few years now, and I’m just not ready to watch them walk out of my life. And I probably won’t be living with my family, either… although it could happen. But if not, and I live far away, it will have such a note of finality… why would I need to come back for good after that?

I’m so thankful that I live in this day and age, though. We can travel so quickly and communicate in so many ways. But goodbyes are still hard. One feature of heaven that has grown more and more lovely in my mind is that we will never have to say goodbye.

Confession #194

I don’t have it all together.

I haven’t consciously tried to portray myself as having it all together. But in writing about issues that I care about, about the way things should be, it might be easy for you as a reader to get the idea that I have this thing called life all figured out.

And I definitely don’t.

I’m also not the most serious and mature person in the world. I am silly a lot of the time, self-conscious, and afraid of public speaking. I don’t have perfect fashion sense; I don’t always look the way I would like to. I struggle with depression. I am better and more confident at expressing myself in writing than I am out loud.

I don’t fit perfectly into a lot of “boxes” that partially describe me - like the conservative homeschooler box, or the ministry major box, or the future career woman box.

I’m just writing to share what I know, what I’m learning, and what I’m hoping for. That’s all I can give.

Marriage as a Sanctifier

I have written quite a bit about the blessings of singleness, the opportunities to be had as a single, what singleness can/should look like, etc. I focus on this issue because I am single myself, and I know that contentment in singleness can be a huge struggle. But I never want to emphasize singleness so much that I am not emphasizing marriage enough. The other day, I was thinking about my post Notice the Single Moments, and the temptation singleness can bring by causing one to be self-focused and too single-minded. So on the flip side, I began to think about the great benefits marriage can have in sanctifying those who are married.

A successful marriage demands unselfishness. It can and should cause changes in every area of life – what you do when you get up in the morning, what you have for dinner, how you spend your recreational time, what church you attend, where you spend Christmas, how much time you are able to give to your job, and let’s not forget having children and the monumental changes that brings. Life with a built-in best friend and roommate can sometimes crowd your space and cramp your style.

I think people who are single for at least a few years after high school may find the changes marriage brings to be more difficult, because we may become so wrapped up in our convenient solo lifestyles that the partnership inherent in marriage can be very challenging. But that is the beauty of marriage. If we allow His work, God can use the joining of two lives to make each spouse less selfish, less individualistic, and less focused on their own agenda. Singleness can also be a sanctifier, but only marriage has this unique built-in tendency to counteract selfishness.

So my challenge to us is not to see the joys and burdens of marriage narrow-mindedly. The joys are many, but they are not without pain. And the burdens are there, too, but they are not without blessings and benefits. Sinners who are committed to the Lord and to each other will find that God uses marriage to make us more like Him.

Agenda Anna

Wendy at Reforming the Feminine writes about three things she’s learned from her tendency to be “Agenda Wendy” and disregard any interruptions to her plan:

Agenda Wendy has a plan. Something occurred to her that would be a really good thing to do. There’s nothing wrong with that. But then woe to the obstacle that gets in Agenda Wendy’s way. Agenda Wendy becomes singularly focused on her agenda and either runs over or resents anyone who gets in her way. Agenda Wendy doesn’t appreciate interruptions…

Agenda Wendy is making strides. She is learning to take off her Agenda cape and listen to those around her. She is learning that she is not the only person out there with good ideas and that those affected by her agenda ought to have input into it. Most of all, she is learning that God is in control of the interruptions and to look for His hand in them.

This is something I desperately need to work on as well, especially with my New Year’s resolutions and my desire to be more focused this semester. I am especially tempted to resent people who get in my way, as Wendy wrote. I want to see God’s hand in all of these little interruptions.

Sisters… what I long for you to know

This is a stream-of-consciousness list of things I want to share with my sisters in Christ. I’m still learning many of them myself. They’re not really in a particular order, but I feel so strongly about each of these points. 

• You are a creation of God, and your worth comes from that fact, not from what the males around you say or think.
• You do not need to sacrifice your modesty in order to prove that you are “comfortable with your body.”
• Submission in a godly marriage is not demeaning; it is freeing.
• The standards of this culture are selling you short. Question them; don’t accept them blindly.
• You can be different from your peers. It’s okay.
• The most content women are not those who have everything the world can offer, but who have everything Christ can offer.
• It is okay that you want to be loved, not just lusted after.
• Shopping and fashion can become unhealthy obsessions, just like anything else.
• Being a wife and a mother is a high calling. And so is exploiting your singleness to the glory of God.
• Your weight is a matter of your personal health and stewardship of the body God has given you – not a measure of the person you are. Those who really love you will know this.
• Waiting for a godly guy who respects you is worth it.
• Girls with boyfriends… and women with husbands… have problems too.
• The Creator of the universe values your unfading inner beauty, not your transient outer appearance.
• There are so many opportunities in this world for a young woman who wants to serve God. Don’t limit yourself.
• Christ can be your salvation. And when He is, He becomes the most abundant life you’ve ever dreamed of - not easy, not comfortable, but abundant.

Weight Training

So I haven’t mentioned that one of the classes I’m taking this semester is weight training. I’m not kidding. Most people who know me would laugh at that statement, I think. I have to take an activities course in order to graduate, and that was the one that worked best with my schedule. I think that I am going to be amused at myself many times throughout the semester. I have been good at working out, but never at pumping iron.

Thankfully, though, the class is for females only. I don’t know how I would feel if I had to lift weights alongside guys. We won’t even go there.